Eagles bury Bulldogs with offensive flurry

HOOD RIVER — Judging by Hood River Valley’s first meeting with league doormat Hermiston, the outcome of Tuesday’s Columbia Division matchup was a foregone conclusion.

But the Eagles somehow managed to outdo themselves in the second meeting, matching their scoring total from the April 5 game (21), and holding the Bulldogs to two fewer goals than they had the first time around.

What that all added up to was a 21-0 demolition at Henderson Stadium, as HRV improved to 5-1 in league and 10-1 overall.

“Although it was a lopsided game, we didn’t play at a lower level,” coach Mac Jackson said. “We continued to execute well and play good quality lacrosse.”

HRV jumped out to a 7-0 lead after one quarter, and then went on a tear in the second to up the advantage to 16-0. The Eagles went easy on the less-experienced Bulldogs in the second half, netting two goals in the third quarter and three in the fourth.

Senior goalkeeper Adam Mack recorded his first career shutout, helping the Eagle defense hold an opponent to two or fewer goals for the sixth time in seven games.

On the offensive end, seven HRV players finished with two or more goals, with a total of 11 Eagles — including senior defender Alex Princehouse — finding the net.

Paul Spaulding and Gideon Phelps also found the net in HRV’s most one-sided game of the year. The Eagles also scored 21 goals against Hermiston on April 5, but the Bulldogs managed to score the first two goals of that game.

Since an April 8 loss to Lincoln, the Eagles have outscored their three opponents by a combined score of 46-4. Their gaudy goal differential should increase even more over the next two outings against 0-10 Franklin (Monday) and 1-7 Cleveland (April 29).

However, the Eagles can’t afford a letdown over their final three contests against Lincoln, OES and Grant — all on the road. The state playoffs will begin the week of May 16.